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sertraline

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Q: sertraline?????????????????????
yesterday i started taking sertraline, and i had little side effects such as upset stomach, a little bit of a headache, a little nausea & insomnia. . but today i dont feel any side effects and this is my second day taking it, is this normal? (im taking 50mg.)also does it really make you speak your mind and make you a happier person? some people have told me it made them speak their minds, hyper, alot happier. so im just curious as to know what everyone else experianced while using this. . . thanks!!

A: i take it as well, same mg and all. if it’s only your second day it hasn’t had time to build up in your system, it’ll take about a week before you feel the full effects. in general it’s supposed to make you happier. it’s also supposed to make being happier easier.

sertraline is used for the treatment of depression and anxiety so yes if you have trouble speaking your mind it’ll help you with it. as in hyper if that’s how you react to being happy then yes it’ll make you hyper.

sertraline is the generic name for zoloft so read this if you have any more questions.

http://www.zoloft.com/

Q: Sertraline?
I am currently taking a 50mg dose of sertraline hydrochloride, but I recently found some information on the internet about a possible risk of cancer associated with SSRI (selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors). I wondered if anyone else has heard about this research and could provide some links?

A: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez

This is the standard site for searching medical journal articles.

“Search” PubMed for “cancer ssri” gives you 35 articles, some of which may be relevant, including:

Xu W, Tamim H (and others)
Use of antidepressants and risk of colorectal cancer: a nested case-control study.
Lancet Oncol. 2006 Apr;7(4):301-8.
PMID: 16574545

Chien C, Li CI (and others)
Antidepressant use and breast cancer risk.
Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2006 Jan;95(2):131-40. Epub 2005 Dec 2.
PMID: 16322894

Happy searching! And remember – these are just research articles, not proven fact. Don’t get too paranoid!

Q: What’s the difference between Sertraline HCL and sertraline h?
I have always taken sertraline hcl (yellow, tannish pill) and in the last 2 weeks, ive been taking sertraline h (blue pill). I have noticed recently im more down on myself dreading things, is this my imagination?

A: You should call and ask your psychology/psychiatrist. I am sure they are much more able to help you than any of us are. Although, I do take Setraline H (generic name for Zoloft), and I am not sure if there really is a difference. But it is better to be safe and check with a doctor.

Q: what is the difference between ic sertraline hcl and regular sertraline?
i got just plain old sertraline from a walgreens pharmacy and when i got my rx from a cvs pharmacy the bottle said ic sertraline hcl instead of only sertraline, and the pills were shaped differently. is there a difference, or is it just the pharmacy or they get them from a different manufacturer?
Oh. Why are they shaped differently?

A: because, sertraline is the generic form of zoloft. When a drug is generic, that means the main company that makes it no longer has exclusive rights to make it. Any pharmaceutical company who has the formula can manufacture that chemical. So depending on the company making it, it will look different (for less confusion – what is this drug??). The easiest thing to do is to either call poison control, or use a drug identifier online, and it will ask for the color/markings on the pill to identify the drug, manufacturer, and strength. Or, you can call a pharmacist, they have tools to look it up to.

Q: How does sertraline (generic zoloft) work for anxiety and panic?
I need some good meds for anxiety and panic and was just prescribed to sertraline (generic zoloft)….how goood does it work for anxiety and panic?

A: In English: Seratonin is a “chemical” in the brain that is responsable for a sense of well-being and helps regulate sleep.

In your brain, these chemicals are released, float around for a bit, and then re-absorbed by the brain. It is while the chemical is “floating around” that you feel the effects of it (well-being, calmness). If your body re-absorbs the chemical, seratonin, too fast you may feel anxious and have a sense of feeling anxiety or non-well-being.

What Zoloft does is it prevents your brain from re-absorbing seratonin too fast so you can feel the effects. I take it and it seemed to help a lot with my anxiety but didnt change my personality at all.

Hence the reason it is called a SSRI: Selective Seratonin Reuptake Inhibitor

Q: What are the side affects of sertraline?
What are the side affects of sertraline?
well my doctor prescribed me sertraline and i dont know what it is. but i know is for my depression. so i want to know how usefull it is and what are the side affects of it.

A: Well of course right when you start taking it there could be some side effects. They probably have you starting out at a low dose. One thing i noticed is, I speak my mind Alot. Like i can’t hold things in making me more social. It was making me more depressed for i’d guess the first 2-3 weeks and made me very confused, but after that it started to work amazing. At first it was also making me tired but i react strongly. It now gives me energy and makes me so happy after I take it and lasts into the next day.

Q: What happens when you stop taking sertraline abruptly?
I’m on sertraline for my social anxiety disorder. What happens if I just stop taking them?

A: not a good idea to just stop. even if you have been on it for a short period of time you can start having withdrawals. you can become really irritated and just feel horrible. so slowly decrease it. your doctor can help you come up with a schedule of slowly decreasing until you finally stop completely. if you want to do it on your own you can do a trial and error and maybe dose every other day see how you feel.

Q: Will the side effects from Sertraline continue to affect me as long as I take the drug?
I started taking Sertraline (Zoloft) about two weeks ago and have experienced a few side effects: Tremors in my legs and head, genital anesthesia, and blurred vision. The tremors and blurred vision are mild and tolerable but I am very unhappy about the genital anesthesia. I am taking Sertraline for an anxiety and panic disorder. I believe the benefits of taking the drug outweigh the uncomfortable side effects but I would much rather them discontinue. How long should these side effects last?

A: I am on sertraline as well. my side effects (headaches,nausea, shaking hands, and insomnia) were pretty much gone after a couple weeks and after a month I didn’t notice it anymore at all

Q: Will metoprolol and sertraline cause bad effects to my heart?
I take metoprolol and sertraline and have had recent chest pain on left side and up my neck on December 3rd. Is it a bad interaction? My doctor will not change anything on my medications.
I am seeing a cardiologist for my heart condition. He only told me to go to the emergency room for the pain, but never even considered about the drug interactions when taking both metoprolol and sertraline.

A: These drugs very rarely if ever have an interaction. Metoprolol is the generic version of Lopressor and sertraline is the generic Zoloft. Actually, if you have anxiety these two together are usually extremely affective in treating arrythmias and anxiety. I would go to the ER, explain the pain, tell them that you are not happy with your doc and after your treatment ask for another doc. The nurses often have one that they prefer. Everyone has their opinions. You definitely need to see an electrophysiologist that deals with the electrical system of the heart (SA and AV nodes, Bundle of His and Purkinje fibers). You also should have a cardiac enzymes test and a BMP (basic metobolic panel) blood test done to determine if your electrolytes are out of whack and if your potassium is low, sometimes it will cause chest pain. Go, to the ER. Quit procrastinating. Hope all goes well.

Q: How do I feel less confused from sertraline and co-codomol?
I take sertraline every night, and co-codomol for toothache and I feel really dizzy and detached. I was feeling like this this morning before I took the painkiller actually, but the painkiller has made it worse. I’ve also got stomach ache. How do I bring myself back down?

A: I have been on Sertralene for the last eighteen months or so; it was prescribed for a severe anxiety problem. In my experience the problems you are experiencing are due more to the Sertraline than anything else. The feelings of detachment and emotional flatness are a recognised side effect of a class of drugs known as SSRIs (among many others) of which Sertralene is one. I advise getting your dental pain sorted out, then see your medical practitioner and maybe changing to another drug, Citalopram for example. I am currently coming off Sertralene, with medical supervision, and am already feeling better.

Q: How do I swap from Seroxat to Sertraline?
Do I need to come off of the seroxat first (i.e. stop taking them for a couple of weeks before starting Sertraline? Or can I go straight from serxat to sertraline? I’m always a mess when I stop seroxat so hope I don’t have to be off them for two weeks b4 trying the sertraline. Imagine if the sertraline didn’t work after that period too.

A: If you want to come off Seroxat the best thing to do is see your dr asap and get his/her advice on it. I understand your concerns, I’m currently debating weather or not to change anti-depressants. If I do decide to I’ll just have to take that chance that the new drug may not work for me. As you said, you have negative side effects when you come off Seroxat so why mess around with your health when you can go to your dr and get advice on changing medication safely? You can always increase your support network and take extra care of yourself during the change-over period, which will help reduce the risk of you mental state going too low. Good luck.

Q: How long does it take for Sertraline to start working? Will I have to be on this medication for the rest of my?
In spite being a very enthusiastic and positive person recently, apparently for no reason, I had a breakdown. I was put on Sertraline (and Xanax, but just for the first three weeks) by my doctor. Do you know when it will start to work? What is it going to happen? I have been taking it for four days now. I am very scared I will never go back to be happy and normal as I was before the breakdown.
Thanx a million

A: i am so sorry you are having such a rough time.
Any antidepressant takes between 10 days and 2 weeks to start to work.
YOu may find that you need your dose increased though, so be patient with it. If you dont feel any change after 10 days i would go back to your doctor and tell them so they can increase your dose. I tried Sertraline and i started on 100mg i think and went up to 200mg but it didnt really work for me. So you may find you need to be increased, depends on how much of a dose you are on at the moment. Doctors give you a low dose you minimise the side effects and so you get used to the meds gradually so they cant give you a big dose straight away. YOu will need to try the maximum dose before they try a different med usualy. So bear with it. YOu will feel better soon. It does get better :-) I have been there many times.

Take care and try to do small things, even if it means you get up and brush your teeth, its all about baby steps. Walking around the corner is a big step when you feel depressed.

x

Q: How long do the side effects of sertraline last.?
I have just been put on sertraline for anxiety disorder. The side effect I am experiencing is stomach upset and nausea. Both are quite horrible and I just want to know how long these side effects carry on? My Doc says 10 days maximum but I’m not sure I can last this long. Let me know what you experienced.

A: I am currently on that for panic attacks and it works wonderful so just hang with it for a few more days.I got really tired with mine but my side effects lasted for not even a week.

Q: What are the health risks involved with taking Sertraline?
I’ve just been prescribed Sertraline (50mg) to help me deal with clinical depression and post traumatic stress (attacked walking home last year) i’ve read up on the possible side effects, and after two weeks gone through the obligatory nausea/loss of appetite, and they DO seem to have started having a positive effect on me, however I was curious as to whether there were any long term/possibly serious health risks from taking this med? I assumed the banishment of alcohol suggests liver damage, but is there anything conclusive? All comments welcome, thank you very much for your time!

A: As far as I know, all antidepressants carry some risk of seizure and suicidal thoughts. The risks of both are low compared to the benefits. If you do begin feeling suicidal (or more suicidal than before), contact your prescriber. There is also a risk of something called serotonin syndrome, also known as serotonin toxicity. Some people also feel drowsy or experience low energy on sertraline.

The likelihood of experiencing any of these side effects, especially on a low dose like 50m, is quite slim. Glad you’re already feeling better!

Q: What is the side effect of sertraline HCL with alcahol?
Sertraline is an antidepresent, what are the side effects if you drink alcahol with it?

A: Uhhh….. you’ll most likely get really sick. That’s what happened to me everytime I tried to drink alcohol on sertraline.

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